If We Could Turn Back Time
by sapphire2994
Summary: Special Agent Kelly Parker is Tobias Fornell's latest probie. But is that really all there is to her? Or does she share a special connection to his NCIS counterpart, Leroy Jethro Gibbs?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! This story was actually a short story I had to write for school once, and because I couldn't think of anything to write it on, I wrote this fanfiction, changing the names so that it would sound more original... Hopefully it didn't count as plagarism... So because this was supposed to be a short story, it's really short, and the plot isn't developed very well (given that I only had 5-10 pages to work with..) Anyway, I am working on something longer, but this will have to do for now... Also, sorry if the characters seem a little OOC...**

 **Disclaimer: All characters belong are not mine. The only thing that belongs to me is this short story.**

 **~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Today, she felt, would be a magical day, or at least that's what her gut said, and her gut was hardly ever wrong. Maybe it was instinct, maybe it was intuition, but despite the negative thoughts that kept replaying in her mind, she was, for some reason, fairly confident that something good would happen today.

" _Maybe I'll finally catch a break on the case I'm working on,"_ Kelly Parker thought as she headed out the door of her apartment.

Just a few years prior, she had graduated from Quantico and had become a full-fledged FBI agent. Her first several months were rough, as she was only used to push papers and run errands for her superiors, but by and by, she was finally given the opportunity tag along on cases. Now, Kelly belonged to a team of elite FBI agents that worked cases together. At the moment, they were investigating the disappearance of a suspected local gang member, and she had been sent to talk to the witness, Lance Corporal Justin Langer.

Walking down the streets of Washington DC, Kelly's gaze wandered from the cloudless sky to the magnificent buildings that surrounded her to the energetic bustle of her fellow pedestrians, allowing her to feed off the energy of the busy city. Even the sound of traffic was enough to put her in a good mood today. She smiled. " _Yes,"_ she thought to herself, " _Today is going to be a great day."_

As time passed, Kelly eventually found herself standing in front of the café she was supposed to be meeting Langer at. Taking a seat at a nearby outdoor table, she quickly ordered a coffee to go before putting her shades on and trying to look inconspicuous.

Glancing around, she watched as people quickly passed by, all of them in too much of a hurry to soak in the beauty that surrounded them, and she wondered what would happen if they all slowed down for a moment to enjoy their surroundings. Although she reveled in taking time to breathe, she was still an FBI agent, and therefore carefully studied the area for any sign of a threat.

A few minutes later, she glanced at her watch for the tenth time since she'd sat down, and sighed. Scanning the streets one last time, she frowned and pulled out her phone. Just as she began to dial, gunshots sounded in a nearby alley. Faster than anyone could comprehend, Kelly was suddenly racing towards the source of the sound with gun in hand, weaving in and out of the panicking pedestrians that fled the scene.

"Out of the way!" she shouted, pushing someone out of her path, "Federal agent coming through!" The screams of terror only seemed to continue, and Kelly grunted in frustration as someone nearly knocked her off her feet. Pushing herself back up, she took off once more.

Finally, she managed to reach the alley from which the gunshot sound had come just in time to see a shadowy figure duck behind the nearby building. Chasing after them, Kelly rounded the corner with gun drawn, only to find the place deserted.

Throwing her hands up in frustration, she groaned and scanned the alley for any clues left behind. As her eyes wandered, her gaze fell upon the body of her now dead witness, and suddenly any thought of a good day vanished. Walking over to where the body of the Lance Corporal lay, Kelly knelt down beside him, gently placing two fingers on his neck to check for a pulse, and sighing when she felt none.

"Aw, crap," she muttered to herself before pulling out her phone and dialing. Putting it to her ear, she greeted, "Hey Fornell, it's Parker. We've got a situation."

 **~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Sighing for the fiftieth time in the past hour, Kelly wiped the sweat from her forehead before returning back to the alley to scour for evidence. Other agents came and went in an attempt to process the scene, but none of them spoke a word to her, as if she was some sort of a disgrace. After all, what kind of agent would let their key witness be killed under their watch?

Once again, Kelly found herself stooping over the place where the witness had been shot, the only evidence remaining being the large and disturbing blood stain that painted the concrete. Suddenly, she felt a firm hand on her shoulder and turned to see Special Agent Tobias Fornell, her boss, gazing down at her with a hint of worry in his expression.

"You alright, Parker?" he asked, searching her face for some sort of answer. Kelly shrugged and stood up, giving one last glance to the blood stain.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," she responded, "After all, getting our primary witness killed is just part of life, right?"

Fornell looked her straight in the eye. "Don't worry, we'll get whoever killed him," he promised, "Besides, I'd be willing to bet that whoever put a bullet in him has connections to the missing gang members."

"Yeah, you're probably right," she sighed, "As soon as we get all of this cleaned up, I'll head back to the office and see if I can find our killer on any of the local traffic cameras."

As soon as she finished speaking, a dark blue Charger and emergency vehicle pulled up in front of the alley. The emergency vehicle wasn't pulled up far enough to see the logo on the side, but from the groan and the angry mutter that came from her boss, she immediately knew: NCIS, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. NCIS wasn't inherently bad, it was just that they could be a real pain in the butt even on good days. Not wanting to be caught in a standoff between two brooding federal agents, Kelly wandered back to the crime scene, looking for anything she might have missed.

Meanwhile, Fornell stalked over the silver-haired NCIS agent that was climbing out of the dark blue Charger. Other agents climbed out of the charger and emergency vehicle, but Fornell payed little attention to them. The silver-haired agent strolled over to the annoyed FBI agent.

"Well if it isn't the great Leroy Jethro Gibbs," Fornell scoffed, folding his arms. The man in question chuckled.

"Hello, Tobias," he greeted with a small smile.

Again, Fornell groaned, rubbing the back of his balding head. "So what can I do for NCIS this fine day?" he asked, sarcasm dripping from every word, "Last time I checked, NCIS doesn't have any business sticking their noses into FBI investigations."

Another smirk passed over Gibbs's face. "I heard you have a dead marine on your hands. That makes it my business, FBI investigation or not," he replied in a no-nonsense tone.

What started as a mere smirk from Fornell turned into a full out laugh as he wheezed, trying to catch his breath. "So what? You're going to take away my investigation? I don't think so," he stated, still recovering from his hysterics.

Gibbs kept a straight face, not breaking eye contact once. "My director already talked to yours about it," he informed.

"Yeah? And what did they say?" Fornell asked.

"They were hoping we could figure it out like mature adults," Gibbs replied with a smirk, to which Fornell scoffed and shook his head. Gibbs sighed, hanging his head for a moment before looking back up. "Look," he said, "I'm not going to take away your investigation, I only want to find out who killed the Lance Corporal. After that, you can do whatever you want."

Fornell thought for a moment before answering. "Yeah, ok fine," he agreed, "but only on one condition: one of my agents assists you, acting as a liaison between NCIS and the FBI. They help you out with your case, and in return, they keep me in the loop."

Gibbs sighed again. "I'm not in the mood to babysit one of your agents, Tobias. Just hand over the crime scene and get out of here," he argued, getting less amused by the minute.

"You won't have to babysit anyone, Gibbs, I promise. Just give her a chance."

"Her?"

Fornell motioned over to Kelly who was scrutinizing a brick wall. "FBI Special Agent Kelly Parker, she was the agent I sent to ask Langer some questions. He was killed while she was sitting at the cafe down the street. She tried to chase after the killer, but she was too late," he explained, glancing at her with a concerned expression.

"It wasn't her fault. There's nothing she could've done to stop it," Gibbs insisted, doing a detailed double-take on the agent he'd so quickly dismissed earlier as just another agent. Now that he got a good look at her, he realized there was more to her than what lay above the surface.

"She knows, but she still feels an amount of responsibility for it. You know what she's going through, you've been through it before, too."

Gibbs sighed. He knew all too well what taking the blame for something completely out of one's hands felt like. He'd been through it over and over again, and even though he was a highly skilled and seasoned agent, he still hadn't learned his lesson. "I'm still not interested in babysitting your depressed agent, Tobias. Give her a good smack on the back of the head and tell her to snap out of it. That should straighten her out real quick," he muttered, before starting to wander back towards the NCIS van.

"So that's it then?" Fornell asked.

"So what's it then?" Gibbs called back, his back still turned against the FBI agent as he walked down the alley.

"So you're not going to do anything about it? You're just gonna walk away?"

Gibbs stopped dead in his tracks before spinning around. "What do you want me to do about it? If she's giving herself grief over it, then she probably deserves it," he protested, "Besides, since when was this about your depressed agent? I thought we were negotiating for the crime scene."

"We were, and I told you I'd give it to you if you take along my agent," Darnell stated.

"Tobi-"

"No, Gibbs, that's the deal. You can bring along my agent, or we can take this to the directors because we can't agree on a single thing. It's your choice. Take it or leave it."

Gibbs sighed and hung his head. Finally, after a moment of contemplating, he straitened up. "Fine, but if she gets in my way even once, I will have her out the door so fast, she won't know what hit her. Deal?" he asked, sticking out his hand.

Fornell smiled, taking the outstretched hand. "Deal," he confirmed, "Trust me, she's a lot smarter than you give her credit for."

"She better be," Gibbs muttered under his breath.

With Gibbs following behind him, Fornell casually strolled over to Kelly, who was so unaware of his presence that she didn't notice him or his associate until their shadows blocked her sunlight. Glancing up, her breath hitched and her face paled at the sight of the silver-haired NCIS agent. His face was one she knew all too well, despite the fact that he looked a lot older than the last time she'd seen him. The only reason she stared dumbfounded was because he had supposedly died years ago, and yet here he was in all his familiar charm gazing at her without a hint of recognition for her, his daughter, the light of his eye that he had lost so very long ago.

Reining in her emotions, Parker stood promptly, trying not to show the great amount of surprise she had all of a sudden been overwhelmed with. Reaching for Gibbs' outstretched hand, she shook it, being extremely cautious about making eye contact. Tibbs noticed but didn't say anything, too caught up in his own emotions, although he was much better at suppressing it. Something about her seemed familiar, or so his infamous gut spared little time in telling him, but no name came to mind, so he shrugged it off, ignoring the instinct that told him he knew her.

Interpreting Parker's shock as something more out of intimidation than actual surprise, Fornell chuckled before introducing the two. "Parker, this is Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs with NCIS; Gibbs, this is Special Agent Kelly Parker, she's one of my brightest agents and also the one I've been telling you about," Fornell explained, ignoring Parker's raised eyebrow at his last comment.

"How do you do?" Gibbs greeted, keeping his eyes focused on her the entire time. Again, Kelly was at a loss for words, as she was successful enough for not staring at him.

Suddenly, one of the other NCIS agents that had accompanied Gibbs approached the group. "Boss, we've got a situation," the light-brown haired man said, ignoring the two extra pairs of eyes that had turned on him.

"What is it, DiNozzo?" Gibbs questioned, turning to look at his senior field agent.

DiNozzo hesitated, scratching the back of his head. "There's a man here to speak to you. He says he's the one that killed our Lance Corporal."

 **~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Back at NCIS headquarters, Gibbs interrogated Juan Hernandez, a member of the local mafia.

"Why'd you kill Lance Corporal Justin Langer?" Gibbs questioned, gazing so intently at the suspect that he would've been able to drill a hole through his head. Juan shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

Juan cleared his throat nervously. "I did what my boss told me ordered me to do," he responded, avoiding eye contact as Gibbs continued to stare at him.

"Who's your boss?"

Juan was hesitant before responding. "Julian Marcello," he responded, "He's the guy Langer was going to testify against. I was tying up the loose ends."

Gibbs glared at him. "You think my Lance Corporal was merely a loose end?"

"No, No! Marcello thought that. That's why he had me kill him."

"So then why turn yourself in? Why not hide behind Marcello's army of lawyers?" Gibbs asked curiously.

Juan sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Because, I'm tired of hurting people, of killing them. I've been at this game for so long, and I just want it to be over. Plus, my father died recently, and I promised that I would right all my wrongs… For him," he explained.

Gibbs got up from his seat. "Good luck doing that while you're in prison," he started, coming around to the other side of the table before yanking him up and slapping a pair of handcuffs on him.

Meanwhile, Parker stood in the observation room watching the spectacle through the one-way glass with DiNozzo standing a few feet behind her.

"Do all your cases wrap up this fast?" she asked, turning to look at him.

Tony DiNozzo shook his head. "No, in fact they usually last much, much longer. I guess somebody put a limit on how many pages long this case could be, so we had to make it short and sweet. Crazy, right?"

Parker chuckled. "Yeah, something like that," she responded. After a slight pause, she asked, "So what about Gibbs?"

DiNozzo didn't look up from picking at his fingernails. "What about him?" he replied nonchalantly.

"Is he always so rough? Doesn't he ever smile and laugh?"

Hearing her words, he stopped dead before looking up at her, wandering away from the wall he'd been leaning against. "He does, it's very rare, though, and it takes a special someone to get him to laugh," DiNozzo explained," You see, Gibbs has been through a lot over the years, way more than anyone should go through in their entire lifetime. Because of it, he tends to a be a little rough around the edges. Don't worry, though, he's not so bad when you get to know him."

Parker nodded. Timidly, she asked, "What kind of things has he gone through?"

Again, DiNozzo hesitated before answering. "There have been a lot of things, but I think the one thing that affected him the most was losing his wife and eight year old daughter in a car crash years ago. His wife was suppose to testify against a drug lord, and he was away on deployment as a marine. His wife, his daughter, and the NIS agent assigned to protect them were on their way to his daughter dance recital when the NIS agent was shot in the head while driving the car. The car then wrapped itself around a pole, killing both his wife and daughter. There wasn't anything Gibbs could've done to stop it, but he blames himself for it everyday."

His words tore at her heart in so many different ways she didn't think possible. After all this time, he had blamed himself for their deaths, when in reality, their deaths had been faked to throw the drug lord off their trail. Why they never reunited was because they had been misinformed that Gibbs had been killed while on deployment. So after all these years, they lived without each other, not knowing that the other was alive.

A silent tear rolled down her cheek, but she wiped it away quickly. Clearing her throat, she asked, "What were their names?"

DiNozzo once again looked up at her. "Shannon and Kelly."

 **~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Just as Kelly stepped onto the elevator headed for the lobby, a tall figure slipped in just before the doors closed. Taking a deep breath, she tried to control her fidgeting as her father stood beside her, not sparing her a glance. Suddenly, he reached out and flipped the emergency switch, bringing the elevator to a complete stop. Surprised, Kelly stumbled, grabbing onto the hand rails for support. Gibbs turned and gazed at her, making her shift uncomfortably.

Not able to withstand the silence, Kelly spoke up. "Look, there's something I need to tell you. I haven't been completely honest about who I am," she explained. She expected some sort of scolding or disappointed reproval, but what Gibbs said next surprised her.

"I know," he responded, "You don't have to tell me. I already know."

She stared at him wide-eyed. "You do?"

"I do," he confirmed with a small smile, pulling her into a warm embrace while carefully stroking the back of her head. She sobbed, releasing all the bottled up pain and anguish she'd hidden away over the years. Continuing to comfort her, he whispered, "I thought I'd lost you." Too overcome with grief, Kelly didn't answer, clinging on to him for fear of him being ripped away from her again.

After holding onto him for a little longer, she let go, stepping back to wipe the tears from her face. "Sorry," she muttered with a small laugh, smiling up at him. Tears were in his eyes as well, but he was grinning wider than a child on Christmas morning.

"Don't be," he answered, wiping a stray tear off her cheek, "You did nothing wrong. I'm just glad you're ok."

"Yeah, me too," she agreed, tilting her head in a playful manner, reminding him of when she was a toddler. He chuckled, wrapping one arm around her.

Tibbs flipped the emergency switch once more, bringing the elevator to life again. "So, you hungry?" he asked before a quick nod and a smile. "Good," he said, "I know this quaint little diner I think you'll like."

 **~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

 **Two Months Later**

The past couple months had been crazy for Kelly. Soon after being reunited with her dad, she had changed her last name back to Gibbs and requested an agency transfer so she could work with her dad. Along with that, her parents were also reunited, and after the second date, Leroy Jethro Gibbs proposed for the second time to his true love, and just like last time, the answer was the same. In the midst of planning a wedding, Kelly had moved some of her stuff back to her dad's house for the times when she wanted to stay the night. After a long day at the office, Kelly lay in bed looking around the room she had grown up in all those years before.

Gazing up at the ceiling, she smiled. Slowly letting her eyes softly close, she inhaled the familiar scent of her home, her heart fluttering once more because of this surreal dream she found herself living in. And then, when she was at her happiest, her mind drifted off and her thoughts faded into subconsciousness, allowing her to fall into a peaceful sleep.

All the while, Leroy Jethro Gibbs stood outside her door watching as she slept on. With a heavy sigh, he gently closed the door and smiled. His little girl was home.

 **The End**

 **Author's Note: Hey, so I hope you guys liked it. Hopefully it wasn't too cheesy... idk, maybe it was... Also, I'm not one to beg, but if you guys leave a comment, it would absolutely make my day :) Anyway, thanks so much for taking time to read this! Hopefully it was worth your while :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi again! Originally, I wasn't going to add anything to this, but a guest (you know who you are :)) requested a scene where Gibbs and Shannon see each other for the first time in a long time, and I was happy to comply :) So anyway, kick back, relax, and enjoy!**

* * *

The sun had barely risen fully over the distant horizon, ushering in a peaceful Saturday morning, before Shannon Parker was up and out weeding her hydrangeas that bloomed in her front yard flower boxes. With nurturing care, she meticulously and efficiently sought out every new weed, running her hand gently over the soil after removing said weed. Though some found her efforts redundant and unnecessary, going out every other morning, searching for unwanted shoots, others praised her, stating that her yard was the most welcoming and homiest little yard on this side of the Potomac. With her lovely lavender hydrangeas that accented her small antique white house and the large willow that stood at the front-right corner of her yard, it was easy to be drawn to the tranquility and peacefulness it inspired.

Such was the reason Shannon was up at this early hour, tending to her yard with motherly care, while the rest of her neighborhood was no doubt sleeping in. Because of this, she was slightly startled when a tall figure blocked her sunlight. Turning herself around but not bothering to rise from her squatting position, she strained her neck to glance up at the figure, unable to make an identification due to the sun that was positioned directly behind it's head. The only thing she could determine was that it was a man, somewhere in his mid or late fifties due to the silver gleam coming from his military haircut.

In a failed attempt to identify him for the second time, she placed a hand over her eyes to try to shade out the sun before asking, "Can I help you?"

She watched as the figure let out a soft chuckle. "Yeah, actually you can. I'm not really from around here, and I think I might have gotten lost," he explained embarrassingly, his gravelly voice sounding oddly familiar.

Letting out a soft laugh, she inquired, "Well where are you trying to go?"

The man shifted onto his left leg awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "I'm actually looking for someone, my wife. Or maybe my ex-wife, I don't know. She thinks I'm dead, so… Anyway, I'm told she lives around here?"

His ramblings amused her and she again laughed understandingly. "Oh, well tell me what she looks like. I might have seen her somewhere."

The man hesitated. "She's about average height, has fiery red hair and crystal blue eyes, and probably one of the most radiating smiles I've ever seen. She lives alone, although our daughter visits her every Sunday. The person that told me about her says she lives in a little white house, kinda like yours."

As he described his long-lost sweetheart, she felt as if he were describing herself, and she quickly grew perplexed. Something began to gnaw on her heart, and her gut kept tugging on her shirt sleeve, but her mind denied the possibilities that bombarded her. Cautiously, she asked, "What's her name?"

The silence that followed made her uneasy as the man only gazed down at her, his eyes penetrating her very soul. "Shannon," he said softly, causing her breath to hitch and her heart to skip a beat. With the way he said her name so affectionately and tenderly, she would've recognized his voice anywhere.

Standing to meet his gaze, she recognized his face immediately and let out a soft gasp. Her face paled, and although her mouth moved, no audible words formed. Gibbs refrained from speaking as well, and only gazed into her eyes in the most loving manner, his own beginning to glisten.

Slowly, one of Shannon's hands made it's way to his face and softly yet cautiously brushed his cheek, her eyes searching his face, cataloging every scar, every wrinkle that had adorned his face since the last time she saw him. Along with that, his short brown hair had been invaded by the aging white hairs that almost completely covered his head. At the same time, however, his eyes were the same youthful icy blue eyes she had looked into when she said, "I do."

Finding her composure, she asked in an almost strangled voice, "Jethro?" Gibbs's smile widened in confirmation, and a stray tear of joy escaped down his cheek. Without hesitation, Shannon wrapped her arms around his neck, a strangled sob escaping her lips, and Gibbs embraced her back, holding on to her like he was never going to let go.

While a few silent tears rolled down her cheeks, comforting murmurs escaped his lips until Shannon pulled away, drying her cheeks with her shirt sleeve and uttering a silent apology. Her face then contorted itself slightly into a look of concern.

"How is this possible? I mean, I thought you were dead because they told-"

Gibbs's finger pressed against her lips, signaling her to stop talking while looking at him with a confused expression. Finally, he asked, "Can't a guy say hello?" Shannon blushed and nodded. Gazing into her eyes, he uttered, "Hello." She smiled.

"Hello," she replied softly, her cheeks reddening even more.

Glancing behind her, he complemented, "Those are some gorgeous hydrangeas you have there. Grow them yourself?"

Shannon smiled and looked at the flowers behind her. "Yeah, uh, they remind me of home. My mother grew some in our flowerbeds, and she taught me how to care for them," she explained.

"She taught you well," Gibbs responded. Pausing for a moment, he added, "Say, would you like a hand with these? Maybe afterwards, we can go out for breakfast and talk."

Shannon's smile widened. "I'd like that very much," she said. She then gave him a quick peck on the cheek before kneeling down in front of her flower beds. Gibbs followed suit, taking off his sport jacket and setting it aside.

"Good," he commented with a smile, "Because I know a place that makes killer waffles."

* * *

 **To the guest that requested this, I hope this works :) Also, everybody else feel free to leave a comment or a request and I'll get around to it as soon as I can :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**This was another request I got, and basically what it is are McGee's, Ziva's, and Tony's reaction to Kelly being alive. I will include Ducky, Palmer, and Abby in a second chapter, in case anyone was worried that I forgot about them. Also, I was going to write and post this a couple days ago, but life happened along with a nasty amount of mosquito bites, so that's why it's taken me a sec. Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

"Wait, wait, wait, so you're saying that you can kill a hundred guys on your computer game, but the sight of your own blood makes you sick?" DiNozzo laughed, giving Timothy McGee a playful slug to the arm as the two men exited the elevator, followed by an unimpressed Ziva David.

"First of all, there's a huge difference between fake blood on computer games and real blood from a human being, and second, I did not get sick, I just didn't expect that much blood to ooze from my toe," McGee protested, looking thoroughly annoyed.

"In any case, McGee, I think it would be wise to avoid cutting open your big toe anytime soon," Ziva concluded, punching DiNozzo in the arm when he continued to mock McGee. McGee scoffed.

"Ya think?" he retorted sarcastically, rounding the corner to the bullpen before heading to his desk. He stopped suddenly and stared, his mouth agape. Noting his silence, Ziva and Tony looked in his direction, only to be gobsmacked as well. There, in the corner where McGee's desk had been, was no longer just one desk, but two placed against each other, one of which held all his stuff. McGee turned around, looking confused.

"Well that's new," Tony commented, absentmindedly setting his backpack on his desk. Ziva let out a little hum in agreement, setting her stuff down as well. Everyone was so focused on the new arrangement that they all failed to noticed their boss sitting at his own desk, watching the dumbfounded agents with interest.

"Something wrong, McGee?" Gibbs asked, startling the three, all of which turned to face him.

"Um, uh, Boss… There's uh, two desks," McGee stuttered. Gibbs chuckled, catching all three agents off guard.

"Yeah, Tim, I can see that," he responded, half-smiling when McGee looked more perplexed.

Tony stepped forward. "You alright, Boss?" he asked cautiously, looking nearly as concerned as McGee. Gibbs raised an eyebrow and continued to smile.

"Never been better. Why you ask?"

Tony hesitated. "Well, uh, you see," he started, "There's, uh, something on your face and it's kinda throwing me off."

Gibbs chuckled again. "It's called a smile, Tony. Ever seen one before?"

"Of course, just not usually on you," Tony stuttered awkwardly, "I mean, not that you don't smile, or that you're not capable of smiling, just-" Gibbs cut him off.

"DiNozzo, stop before you dig yourself a deeper hole," he instructed, his smile starting to dwindle.

"Shutting up, Boss," DiNozzo apologized and straightened up, causing Gibbs to smirk at his nervousness.

McGee motioned to the two desks. "So then why are there two desks, Boss?" he asked.

Gibbs's half-smile returned. "We're getting a new agent on the team," he explained.

DiNozzo let out a snort. "Something the Director forced you into?" he inquired, folding his arms. Ziva smirked, taking a seat at her desk while turning to face Gibbs.

"No, it was my idea," Gibbs clarified, shaking his head.

DiNozzo laughed. "You sure you're feeling okay, Boss?" The grin from his face immediately disappeared when Gibbs gave him a stern look.

Clearing his throat, he inquired, "So what's his name?"

" _Her_ name is Special Agent Kelly Gibbs," the old marine announced, a hint of pride flashing over his features. All eye shot up in interest.

"Kelly Gibbs? As in your daughter, yes?" Ziva asked in surprise.

"That's the one," Gibbs affirmed with a smile. Stunned silence followed along with several confused looks as the agents tried to process the new information. Finally, McGee spoke up.

"Wait, Boss, I thought your daughter was killed in a car crash along with your wife," he said, folding his arms.

Gibbs let out a wry laugh. "Yeah, yeah that's what I thought, too."

Ziva leaned forward. "Well then how?" she questioned, the movement of her hands reflecting her words, "I mean, one cannot just escape death like it is nothing." Several looks from her teammates caused her to revise her statement. "No one except Gibbs, that is," she quickly added. Gibbs raised his eyebrows before chuckling.

"Yeah, well long story short is you can blame the FBI," he clarified.

DiNozzo perked up. "Please tell me you punched Fornell," he blurted, looking highly amused.

Gibbs chuckled. "Eh, I thought about it," he confessed, "But I decided not to seeing Fornell was just as pissed about it as I was."

Tony opened his mouth to say something, but Ziva cut him off. "If your daughter is coming to work with us, then where is she? When can we meet her?" she asked eagerly, eliciting another small chuckle from Gibbs.

Nodding towards upstairs, he replied, "She's up speaking with the Director, but she should be coming down anytime soon, and as for meeting her, you already have."

Again, confusion spread across the faces of the three agents as they wondered who the young agent might be. Suddenly, the door to the Director's office opened and shut as a young woman of average height with medium length brown hair and piercing light blue eyes exited, followed promptly by the Director himself. Mouths were agape and jaws dropped slightly as she descended the stairs; the only one who wasn't staring dumbfounded was Gibbs, instead looking proud.

Rounding the corner to the bullpen, the woman came to a halt at the entrance, Director Vance taking a stance beside her.

"Agents, I'd like you to meet your new team member, Special Agent Kelly Gibbs, or formerly known as FBI Special Agent Kelly Parker," Vance announced, giving an approving nod to Gibbs, who nodded in return.

"Hello," Kelly greeted, a half-smile passing over her lips.

 **~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

"Hello," Kelly greeted, a half-smile passing over her lips. Her smile soon turned into something more of slight embarrassment and uncomfortableness as everyone stared at her, not moving, not speaking, eyes only focused on her. Finally, Vance stepped forward, clearing his throat and breaking the awkward silence.

"Kelly, you remember Special Agent Timothy McGee," Director Vance commented, motioning to the young brown-haired agent. Immediately pulled out of his funk, McGee grinned and waved.

"Yeah, Kelly, I remember," he said, offering an outstretched hand which Kelly gladly accepted, "It just blows my mind that you're Gibbs's daughter. I mean, we all thought you were dead."

Kelly chuckled. "Yeah, well I'm not that easy to kill," she joked, extracting a laugh from McGee.

"No kidding," he agreed. Nodding, he added, "It's good to have you on the team."

"It's good to be on the team," Kelly responded with a smile as McGee withdrew to his desk, allowing others to greet the newcomer.

Noticing all the attention McGee was receiving from Gibbs's daughter, Tony began feeling left out and immediately butted into the procession.

"I'm sure you remember me, Parker," he broke in with his charismatic smile, almost getting up in her face. The new agent smirked.

"Of course! It's hard to forget someone as important as Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo Jr." she teased, gently poking him in the chest. DiNozzo let out a wry laugh, noting her sarcasm.

"Yes, yes it is," he responded with a forced smile, feeling somewhat chagrined.

Leaning in towards his ear, she said in hushed voice, "That's not necessarily a good thing," before moving past him. Both Ziva and Gibbs snorted while McGee snickered, eliciting a glare from DiNozzo in his direction. Vance also smiled.

"Alright, well since you seem to be getting along well, I best be getting back to work," he interrupted. Before turning to leave, he glanced at the old marine. "Gibbs," he nodded. Gibbs returned the nod, and Vance left, ascending the stairs without sparing a glance to the group below.

After watching him leave, Ziva arose from her seat and took initiative in introducing herself. Sticking out her hand, she greeted, "I am Ziva David. We worked together on the Langer investigation."

"If you can even call it an investigation," Kelly scoffed playfully, shaking her hand.

Ziva laughed and nodded. "Yes, I must agree that one was unique." The laughter in her eyes died out and her expression grew solemn and sincere. Looking directly into her eyes, she confided somberly, "It truly is an honor to meet you in person. Your father has told us much about the kind of child you were growing up, and from what I have seen, I believe your character is one of great strength and dignity."

Awed and also shocked by the reverence and genuineness she portrayed, Kelly found herself at a loss for words and nodded in respect, her expression brimming with gratitude. Then, surprising both the former Mossad agent and herself, she pulled her into a tight embrace, whispering " _thank you_ " into her ear. After a moment, Ziva pulled away and smiled before returning to her desk.

Glancing up, Kelly found her father gazing at her while beaming with unfathomable pride, and blushed, offering him a shy smile. His eyes only broke away for a moment as he opened one of his desk drawers and retrieved two objects. Rising from his seat, he came to the other side of his desk and stood in front of her, gazing into her eyes for a moment, before handing her what turned out to be a shiny new Sig Sauer and an NCIS badge.

Giving her an approving smile, he said, "Welcome to NCIS, Probie."

* * *

 **So... thoughts? I have an idea for how I'm going to write the next chapter, but if anyone wants to see something specific, be sure to let me know :) Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! I'm back! Sorry it took me so long. First life happened, and then after that, my muse stopped working and I didn't up to writing until a little bit ago. One thing I need to do though is thank you guys for all your support! Seriously, I let out this little squeal whenever I get a review, follow, or fave. Just ask my mom.**

 **Anyway, here is the next chapter as promised. Enjoy!**

* * *

Exciting as the morning was, the agents found themselves returning to their quiet day-to-day routine, either going over cold cases or archiving files. The only difference was the enthusiasm of the new agent and the smile on the face of the old one, leaving McGee, Tony, and Ziva to pass subtle looks behind the backs of the other two agents.

Eager to share the office's latest gossip with NCIS's greatest forensic mind, McGee quietly excused himself from the squad room, gathering up his laptop and some files on his way out. The rest of the team looked after him curiously before shrugging off his mysterious actions and returning to work. Only Gibbs gazed longer than most, knowing exactly where he was going.

The elevator couldn't stop quick enough for McGee as he struggled to keep papers from falling out of the files and at the same time keep his laptop from smashing onto the floor. The second the door opened, he rushed out in a brisk walk, nearly colliding with Abby who had heard the elevator ding and came to see who it was. He sidestepped around her and immediately emptied the contents of his armload onto her desk.

"Whoa there McGee, you didn't stain Tony's Armani suit again, did you?" Abby probed, still slightly startled from his sudden entrance. McGee's face broke into a wide grin as he sat on the spinning stool and turned to face her. However, he refrained from saying anything and merely sat there grinning at her.

Placing both hands on her hips, Abby gazed at him expectantly before pursing her lips and letting out an impatient huff. "Well?" she demanded. McGee continued to grin at her, amused at how irritated she began to look as she ran every worse-case scenario through her head.

Her expression morphed into one of intense frustration. "McGee, you're really scaring me. Either tell me what terrible happened or I will be forced to torture it out of you." McGee's grin widened.

"Oh, you're going to love this," he smirked, his eyes glistening with excitement. Abby's raised eyebrows urged him to continue. "The FBI really screwed Gibbs over and now he's pissed," he quickly added, piquing her interest.

"That's not surprising. What did they do?"

McGee's grin widened again and he paused to build up suspense. "They faked Gibbs's wife and daughter's death," he blurted finally.

A blank expression crossed Abby's features before her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. From her expression, McGee could sense all the questions that were racing through her mind, and yet her mouth remained silent.

"You remember Fornell's probie that helped us on the Langer case? She's Gibbs's daughter, and she was transferred over to our team today," he added. Abby continued to gape in silence, causing McGee to glance at her curiously. Waving his hand in front of her face, he asked, "Abby?"

Immediately pulled out of her funk, Abby let out an inhuman squeal, causing McGee to cover his ears. He opened his mouth to protest but he was immediately enveloped in a bone-crushing hug. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, McGee! That's so amazing!" she exclaimed, never letting go of poor Tim who let out grunts and groans. She suddenly let him go and her face went serious. Grabbing him by his shoulders, she demanded, "Tell me Gibbs knocked Fornell senseless."

"No, Abby, he did not. Gibbs said he looked just as upset about it," McGee clarified, shrugging her hands off his shoulders.

"Eh, missed opportunity," she shrugged. Her attention suddenly snapped into focus again, startling McGee slightly. "So, tell me what Kelly's like," Abby said excitedly.

 **~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Unlike the noise and commotion it typically hosted, the squad room was quiet, essentially due to the decrease in body-count present. Kelly Gibbs sat silently alone at her computer typing away the keys on the keyboard clacking and clicking every time her fingertips applied pressure to them. With music playing through her earbuds, she almost completely aloof of the outside world, bobbing her head to the rhythm of the beat. Occasionally a pause would interrupt her tapping foot, and a new piece of information would cause her eyebrows to furrow, but for the most part, she was jamming.

With her eyes fixated on her monitor screen, she was oblivious to the new visitor who stood beside her desk. A gentle poke on her right shoulder caused her to jump in surprise, spinning around and at the same time yanking her earbuds from her ears. In mere seconds, she was face to face with an exuberant young woman with dark makeup and darker hair, tattoos, and a spiky dog collar. From her unusual appearance, Kelly assumed either gothic or emo. The young woman smiled at her like she was about to burst from excitement.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she apologized, fidgeting like a hyperactive child on sugar.

Kelly smiled. "It's fine," she replied, shrugging it off. Making a quick and almost nervous glance around the bullpen, she added, "If you're looking for the other agents, McGee left a while ago and hasn't come back, Ziva and Tony just barely took file boxes down to evidence, and Gibbs is on a coffee break."

"Oh no, I'm not here for any of them, I'm here for you," the woman explained, occasionally making movements with her hands as she talked.

Puzzled, Kelly's face scrunched up in confusion. "Oh um, and you are?"

The woman's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, um I'm Abby Sciuto. I work down in the Forensics Lab."

Kelly's perplexed expression melted into a soft smile. Standing up, she stuck out her hand. "Special Agent Kelly Gibbs. I'm the newest member of the MCRT," she introduced herself.

To her surprise, Abby gripped her hand and instead pulled her into a tight hug. "I know, and it's so amazing to finally meet you!" She then suddenly pulled away, leaving Kelly slightly startled. "I mean, Gibbs told me stories about you," she rambled, "so I feel like I kinda know you already, but I don't _know you_ know you, know what I mean?" Before Kelly could answer, Abby cut her off unintentionally. "And I know I'm rambling, and I kinda have a bad habit, so feel free to interrupt me or tell me to shut up because I can be quiet when I need to. I just like to talk, ya know?"

With Abby's mouth moving at a hundred miles an hour, Kelly had trouble keeping up with what she was saying, almost getting nauseous from watching her lips move so fast. Her head stopped spinning when Abby quit talking, but she still leaned on her desk for support.

"Yeah, I know the feeling. Sometimes you need to talk, to get it all out," Kelly responded, smiling.

Abby grinned even wider. "I know, right? And even then, there are so many interesting things to talk about that you just can't shut up! I mean, I could spend days talking about science or animals, or even just telling stories!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Kelly thought for a moment before a curious look crossed her face. "Speaking of stories," she said, "You know pretty much everything about this team, right?"

"Oh yeah, of course. I mean, not _everything_ everything, but I know a lot. Why do you ask?" Abby asked. Kelly began to grin mischievously, causing Abby's eyes to widen. "Uh oh, I know that face. That's the 'I'm up to no good' face."

"I wouldn't call it 'no good', but I'm wondering if there's any dirt you could give me on my team member, ya know, just so I can have a little leverage over them in case they try to pull any newbie crap," Kelly explained, her sly smile never leaving her face.

Abby's eyes lit up and the same sly smile that Kelly wore passed over her lips, giving her almost an impish expression. "Oh, the stories I could tell," she responded.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi again! Before I get into anything else, I just want to say thank you for all the reviews, follows, and favs. You guys might not realize it, but they really make us fanfiction writers super happy, so thank you so much!**

 **Anyway, this chapter is a lot longer than the other ones, so enjoy!**

* * *

The elevator dinged and the doors to Autopsy swooshed open, alerting Ducky of his newcome visitor. Sitting at his desk, he turned to see who it was, his eyes resting on none other than Leroy Jethro Gibbs who stood by the doors.

"Ah, Jethro! I didn't expect you down here so soon," Ducky greeted, giving his colleague and friend a small smile.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "You called me, Duck," was his short response.

"That I did, Jethro, that I did," he affirmed, turning towards his desk once more to close the file he'd been going over before turning his full attention to Gibbs.

Being an impatient man, the pause of the older Scottish gentleman wore slightly on Gibbs's nerves. "Well, Ducky? We don't have a dead body, so why'd ya call me down here?" he finally asked, gazing expectantly at him.

"Yeah, thank goodness for that," Ducky nodded. Another look from Gibbs encouraged Ducky to get to the point. Positioning himself in his seat, he gazed at Gibbs intently before opening his mouth to speak. "The reason I called you down here is because a little bird informed me that there has been a new addition to the Major Crime Response Team," he acknowledged.

A smile broke out on Gibbs's face and he laughed. "Let me guess, Abby?"

"Yeah, isn't it always?" Ducky confirmed, a playful smile tugging on his lips. The smile however withdrew quickly, being replaced with a more serious and solemn expression, as he rose from his chair. Coming to stand before Gibbs, he made eye contact with him before speaking. "What I found most interesting about this new addition was her identity," he informed, searching the old Marine's face for some sign of reaction. Finding none, he asked hesitantly, "Is it true that your daughter and wife are alive?"

Gibbs gazed at him intensely before breaking eye contact and casting his eyes to the floor, bowing his head. A joyful smile spread across his face, and as he looked up, his eyes were shining, giving Ducky enough of a confirmation.

"Yeah, Duck, they're alive," he affirmed solemnly, and for the first time in forever, Ducky witnessed Gibbs truly happy.

Suddenly being filled with exuberance and excitement, Ducky exclaimed, "Oh Jethro, that's wonderful! I'm so happy for you! Where are they? When can I meet them?"

Amused by the doctor's excitement, Gibbs chuckled. "Shannon is currently working at Bethesda Naval Hospital as a physical therapist," he explained, "but as for Kelly…" He paused, glancing towards the door, nodding.

Ducky followed his eyes to where they were looking and watched as the Autopsy doors swooshed open once more. Within mere seconds, a timid yet confident young woman with short brunette hair and striking light blue eyes entered, giving him an awkward wave before coming to stand beside Gibbs.

Motioning towards the older man, Gibbs began, "Kelly, this is Dr. Donald Mallard, or 'Ducky'. He's the Chief Medical Examiner here at NCIS, as well as a good friend of mine." Turning to Ducky, he put his arm around Kelly's shoulders before adding, "Ducky, this is my daughter, Kelly."

Kelly quickly stuck out her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ducky," she greeted, a soft smile forming on her lips.

Ducky accepted her hand, but to her surprise, instead of shaking it, he kissed it gently. "Of a surety, the pleasure is all mine," he insisted, smiling tenderly.

"You definitely know how to make a girl feel special," Kelly complemented, immediately blushing. Gibbs grinned.

"That's Ducky for ya, a true gentleman in every aspect," he commented, earning a pleased smile from Ducky.

"Ah, well don't let Gibb's stern and gruff manner fool you, he's just as much of a gentleman as any proper Englishman," Ducky informed Kelly, eliciting a chuckle from her and a scoff from Gibbs. Reminiscing for a short moment, a glimmer of excitement shone in his eyes, and Gibbs sighed, aware of what was coming. "That reminds me of when we first met. His manners and his courtesy was the first impression he made on me. The circumstances of when we met were less than idea, but I'll never forget the day Mike Franks brought his new probie of a marine to a crime scene. Yes, if my memory is correct, it was the murder of a…"

After the first couple sentences, Gibbs tuned Ducky out, not to be rude but solely because he was so captivated by his daughter, his little girl, sitting on a chair Ducky had provided for her while listening with amusement as Ducky recounted several tales of love, mischief, and tragedy. But what really made his heart skip a beat was whenever Kelly would turn around to glance at him, her eyes full of love and admiration as she gave him her biggest smile before being pulled back into the trance Ducky's stories occasionally pulled people into.

Gibbs smiled. Content with the scene playing out before him, he pulled up a chair and swung it around, straddling it before allowing himself to be pulled into the rhythm of the story.

 **~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

 **(A few days later)**

The sun shone brightly through the old windows of Stillwater's General Store as Jackson Gibbs worked meticulously tidying up the back room as he always did in the morning, and as he always had done since the day he and Leroy Jethro Moore opened the store together many years ago. Since opening day, only a few events had kept him from performing his daily routine: the death and funeral of his wife, the wedding of his son, the birth of his first and only grandchild, and the funeral of his daughter-in-law and said grandchild. As of late though, nothing had come up to disrupt the cycle, and so he performed his tasks everyday like clockwork. To him, today seemed no different.

Despite it still being slightly early in the morning, nothing stopped customers from coming in, or so told the ringing of the bell on the front door.

"I'll be with you in a minute," Jackson called from the back room.

"There's no rush," came a masculine voice from inside the store.

Setting aside the broom he'd been using to sweep the floor, Jackson exited the back room and came around the corner, finding a man standing by the window with his back facing him. Jackson presumed him to be a stranger from out of town due to the fact that he didn't recognize him, and boy did he know everyone in town.

The stranger was tall, about six feet, and was wearing a Carhartt jacket along with denim jeans and boots. What was most striking about his appearance was his silver hair, the sunlight from the window causing it to gleam and glisten. From the way he held himself, Jackson sensed a hint of familiarity but ignored it. Upon hearing him enter the room, the stranger turned around.

"Heard this is the best place around town to get fishin' worms," he said, a friendly half-smile spreading across his lips.

Masking his surprise, Jackson raised an eyebrow. "Whoever told you that was right," he stated simply, gazing at the man in front of him. The man stared back, refusing to break eye-contact.

Finally, the man spoke. "Hi, Dad."

Jackson nodded. "Hello, son. Long time, no see."

Jethro Gibbs chuckled, his eyes glancing to the floor for a moment. "Too long," he admitted, sticking his hands in his front pockets.

The elder Gibbs scoffed. "It's not as if you tried to visit. You ignore my calls, never reply to my letters, and suddenly you come waltzing into my store? What do you want?" he inquired, his frustration clearly evident as he balled his fists. Gibbs's smile waned as he noticed the tension in his voice.

"I was hoping to go fishing with my dad," he admitted, his voice portraying caution. Jackson's eyebrows shot up in disbelief before relaxing seconds later.

He shook his head. "And you expect me to drop everything and come with you?"

"No,I don't expect you to do anything, but I am hoping." Gibbs lazily scanned the store, casting a quick glance outside as well. "After all," said he, a playful smile tugging on his lips, "It's only a Thursday. Not many people come in here on Thursday."

Immediately, the tension barrier was broken as Jackson let out a laugh. "True that," he agreed, wagging a finger at a smiling Gibbs.

Coming to lean against the counter, Gibbs rested his arms on it. "So what do ya say, Dad?" he asked, "Will you come fishing with me?"

There was a short pause before Jackson's face broke out in a grin.

"I'll grab the wrigglers."

 **~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

The sunlight danced off of the surface of the water as Jackson and Gibbs sat fishing, lazily munching on jerky and trail mix. Fixing his gaze on the horizon, Gibbs sighed, casting his line out with one swift movement.

"You've got that look again," he muttered, slowly reeling his line in.

Jackson glanced at him questioningly. "What look?"

"The look you get when you want to say something but you're hesitant to say it," Gibbs stated.

An eyebrow shot up. "And how would you know what that looks like?"

Casting an amused look at his father, Gibbs chuckled softly. "Come on, Dad, I lived with you for eighteen years. You pick up on things." Upon receiving no response from the former, he gazed intently at him. "So come on, say it," Gibbs finally urged.

Jackson stopped reeling and set his pole aside before taking a deep breath and turning to his son. "Why are you really here?" he asked, his facial expression as persistent and earnest as his words and tone of voice.

"Do I need an excuse to visit my dad?" Gibbs retorted softly, causing Jackson's brow to furrow deeper.

"Since this is you we're talking about, yes," he responded bluntly.

Gibbs sighed, a small contemplative smile spreading on his lips. Setting his rod aside, he turned to his father. "Shannon and Kelly are alive."

He knew he'd hit the right spot because Jackson Gibbs was at a loss for words, a phenomenon that rarely occurred. Gradually, however, the petrifying shock that had overcome Jackson slowly wore off.

"What?" he asked in a hoarse whisper.

Gibbs's smile widened in confirmation. "They survived the accident. They're not dead."

Still confused, Jackson frowned. "How is this possible? Where have they been all this time?"

"Living in California until this last year. Since then, they've been on the north side of Bethesda." Seeing the chagrin still evident in his father's body language, he clarified. "When Shannon and Kelly barely made it out of the accident, the FBI put them in a witness protection program without authorization, giving them new identities and new names. to protect them from the Reynosa Cartel. Unfortunately however, due to her injuries, Shannon was unable to testify at court. To make matters worse, the FBI received false information that I went missing in action during the explosion in Desert Storm."

Pausing to take a breath and check on his father was doing, Gibbs continued. "With me supposedly dead and her having not had any contact with you or anyone else in years, Shannon felt that it was easier to move on and start a new life under the aliases she and Kelly were given by the FBI. She moved to Clovis, California, and lived there until Kelly got transferred to the FBI's offices in DC."

Finished with his explanation, Gibbs gazed at his father, waiting for him to say something. However, Jackson's face was completely blank, as if he was in a daze, and no part of his mouth appeared to move. His eyes appeared to be moistening, though, enough that a single tear rolled down his cheek.

"They're alive?" he finally whispered, his voice cracking ever so slightly.

Gibbs nodded. "They're alive," he confirmed with a smile.

After a moment of quiet reflection, a playful smile began to tug on Jackson's lips as he quickly wiped away whatever tears he had in his eyes. "Since Shannon is alive, does this mean you two might get together again," he asked, humor in his voice, causing Gibbs to chuckle.

"That's the other thing I wanted to tell you. Shannon and I are getting married again."

Jackson's eyebrows shot up in shock. Moments later, a smile formed. "That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you, son," he congratulated, patting a smiling Gibbs on the shoulder.

"Thanks, Dad," Gibbs said.

Jackson's expression grew solemn, if almost pleading, and a hesitant pause followed. "Do you think I could I see them sometime?" he asked, his eyes begging for his cause, "I really miss those girls of yours.

Gibbs placed a hand on his father's shoulder. Suddenly, the sound of a car pulling up alerted Gibbs, and he immediately turned to glance at it. "How about now?" he asked, smiling and waving to the car. Standing up, Gibbs motioned Jackson to follow him.

As the two Gibbs walked towards the car, two women climbed out, one redhead and one brunette. The closer they got, the more Jackson recognized them. Although Shannon's red hair stood out tremendously, the person that caught his eye was Kelly, who immediately broke into a run. Approaching her, he didn't hesitate to throw his arms around her the second she reached him, releasing a breath he didn't know he had been holding. Kelly also let out a gasping sob.

"Oh my sweet child, I missed you so much," he murmured into her hair, letting all of his emotions flow into his embrace.

"I missed you, too, Grandpa," Kelly whispered, hugging him back as tightly as he hugged her.

He held her for a moment longer, just like he had when she was little, before pulling apart and grasping her shoulders, gazing into her soft blue eyes. "Look at you," he said, his lips forming a soft smile, "You're all grown up." At a loss for words, Kelly only smiled back, moisture collecting in her eyes. Turning to Shannon, Jackson gave her a hug as well, kissing her on the cheek after pulling apart. "As for you, my daughter, you're as radiant as ever."

Shannon blushed. "You always did give the sweetest compliments," she confessed, her sweet smile filling his heart with a kind of love he never thought he would feel again.

Unable to hold himself back anymore, Jackson wrapped his arms around them, holding them like it was the last. Unbeknownst to him, Gibbs came to stand behind them, smiling at the scene playing out before him.

Finally he asked, "Is my excuse for visiting good enough for you?"

Without releasing Shannon and Kelly from his grasp, Jackson turned his head to glance at his son. With a grin plastered on his expression, he responded. "Definitely."

 **~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

 **A Month Later…**

Standing towards the back of the hall, Leroy Jethro Gibbs separated himself from the rest of the party, resorting to merely watching the processions. The sun had gone down a while ago, and the only thing keeping the pavilion lit were the white icicle lights hanging from the ceiling and the candles sitting in the middle of the tables. Although, he had a difficult time making out people in the low light, it helped set the mood for the wedding reception. And yet, he never had a problem making out the smile on his new bride's face.

Mesmerized by the blissful atmosphere around him, his mind began to slip into a contemplative state, going back to when he first found out his wife and daughter were alive. Although it had almost been three months since then, he remembered it like yesterday. The shock. The anger. The relief. The joy.

 _The joy._

That was the sum of the past three months. From the time he first visited Shannon when she was weeding her hydrangeas, to the night he took her on the first date, to when she said yes for the second time while Kelly stood by crying tears of joy. The only emotion he felt during those three months was joy, and tonight that joy was multiplied to the power of infinity. Though one could argue that he and Shannon had jumped the gun, there was no need to wait when the person you were marrying was your soulmate.

 _Soulmate._

Just the thought of the word put him on Cloud Nine. Tonight was the night he had married his soulmate for the second time, and heaven help whatever or whomever tried to pull them apart again. This was the last time he was going to let his girls be taken from him.

Skimming over the group of people on the dance floor, Gibbs located his wife and daughter dancing to _Heaven Is A Place On Earth_ by Belinda Carlisle. A chuckle formed deep in his throat as he flashed back to the days when Shannon would dance to it with four year-old Kelly in the living room. However, he soon found himself glancing around the room, his eyes resting on each of the guests.

Originally, he and Shannon had planned for something smaller like a barbeque to celebrate their marriage, but with Kelly and Abby in charge of some of the wedding plans, the whole ordeal ended up being bigger than expected. That being said, it was still considered a small wedding as only Gibbs's and Shannon's family and close friends were invited. In one corner, Gibbs spotted his father carrying a conversation with Ducky and Shannon's mother, Joann Fielding, as Jimmy Palmer stood awkwardly by. On the table across from them was Director Vance, Secretary Jarvis, and Deputy Director Tom Morrow. Due to the serious expressions on their faces, he guessed they were talking politics.

Sighing, Gibbs's eyes wandered over to his ex-wife, Dianne. He hadn't originally planned on inviting her, but since he invited Fornell, he figured it a common courtesy to invite her as well. Speaking of Fornell, he frowned as he searched for him, only to laugh when he caught him slipping something stronger into the fruit punch he was holding.

His eyes moving back to the dance floor, he smiled upon seeing his team there, dancing their hearts out to _What I Like About You_ by The Romantics. Naturally, they were separated into pairs, Abby with Tim and Tony with Ziva. Something in the back of his mind pushed him to react, but he quickly shrugged it off. It being his wedding reception and all, he figured he could let Rule #12 slide tonight.

The song ended and Abby immediately made a mad dash for the microphone. "And now for the moment all you single ladies have been waiting for, the Bouquet Toss!"

All the guys on the floor immediately took their seats at nearby tables while most of women crowded behind Shannon who stood in the center of the floor. Much to Gibbs's amusement, he spotted Diane towards the back of the crowd. After the women had assembled, Shannon threw the bouquet up and over her head. Everyone watched in surprise as it sailed over all the reaching hands- right into McGee's lap. Turning beet red with embarrassment, McGee sat mortified as everyone laughed.

Gibbs, however, laughed the loudest, his roar catching the attention of his red-headed bride who instantly flashed him an amused smile. _You're The Inspiration_ by Chicago began to play, and Shannon slowly approached him, her hands grasping his as they met.

Gazing into his eyes, she asked softly, "May I have this dance?"

Gibbs smiled, giving her his arm before leading her into the middle of the floor. Placing his hand on her mid-back as she placed a hand on his shoulder, they began to sway. Listening to the music, he closed his eyes, each and every word ringing true in his heart.

 _You're the meaning in my life_

 _You're the inspiration_

 _You bring feeling to my life_

 _You're the inspiration_

 _Wanna have near me_

 _I wanna have you hear me sayin'_

 _No one needs more than I need you_

This. This was his world, and everything he needed was right here. That was all he could have ever asked for, and for the first time years, he was truly happy.

* * *

 **AND CUT! That's the end! I hope you all liked it and I hope it was worth your time :-) If you guys are interested, I am currently working on another Kelly Gibbs story that will be much longer. I just have to get more chapters written ahead of time before I publish it, but hopefully it won't be to long.**

 **On a side note, I'm not sure if you noticed but I was listening to my 80's jams while writing this, so it kinda spilled into the chapter :-) Just for fun, what are you favorite 80's songs? I'd love to hear them :-)**

 **Anyway, thank you so much for reading!**

 **~sapphire2994~**


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